Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) is considering a fare hike for both AC and non-AC buses. A senior official stated that the proposal will be implemented only after government approval, and no final decision has been made yet.
According to sources, BEST’s newly appointed General Manager, S.V.R. Srinivas, who currently holds additional charge, reviewed all bus operations and pending demands last week, including the fare hike issue. A senior official mentioned that to ensure a sustainable revenue model for BEST in the future, a fare revision might be necessary.
As per BEST transport department sources, the proposed fare increase would set the minimum fare for ordinary (non-AC) buses at Rs 10 and for AC buses at Rs 12. Currently, the minimum fare for a 5 km journey is Rs 5 for non-AC buses and Rs 6 for AC buses.
Notably, BEST has been facing a financial crisis since 2012-13 and has received financial assistance of Rs 11,304 crore from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) so far. Recently, BMC made four recommendations to BEST, including increasing the minimum bus fare from Rs 5 to 10, utilizing its resources/assets for commercial purposes, seeking financial aid from the World Bank, and requesting grants from the central and state governments.
Demand for ‘Telescopic’ Fare Structure
Members of the Mumbai Mobility Forum (MMF) recently submitted a petition to BEST, suggesting that any fare revision should be implemented on a ‘telescopic’ basis, where fares increase based on distance travelled.
The petition proposed that AC bus fares should increase by Rs 2 for the first km, followed by Rs 1.50 per km thereafter, with only a Rs 1 increase for journeys up to 5 km. However, it recommended no fare hike for non-AC buses. Such a model benefits long-distance commuters rather than short-distance travellers. Given that BEST primarily serves short-distance commuters, it has modified its routes accordingly over the years.
However, the proposal to increase fares is facing opposition. A few months ago, Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray tweeted, questioning the fare hike, stating that the number of buses has already been reduced, and bus stops have been turned into advertisement boards.
“Then why increase the fares? We had kept BEST fares among the most affordable in the world and still planned to expand the fleet with 10,000 electric buses,” he said.
Transport experts argue that there is no need for a fare hike until BEST adds at least 500 new buses—250 AC and 250 non-AC—to its fleet. Currently, BEST’s bus fleet has dropped to fewer than 2,900, the lowest in the past decade.
